So, what happened with the Natl Tour @ DC???

[FT@SGP]

Interestingly, no one started a thread about it here, what's up wiht that?

I think we all had a very humbling experience. I could not be there, but our car was competing and we finished 5th out of 10 with 7.5 seconds behind first place.

That was quite shocking to me, I was not expecting there to be that much difference, was shooting to be within 3-4 seconds.

Mike commented that the course was quite a momentum course and he just could not get into the rythm. Sam Strano was certainly flying as expected; as well as Tyler Stewart and Brain Burdette.

[clyde]

Kind of hate to do this, but fest thread (http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=62100).

Even staying home yesterday, I haven't had hte energy to write much about it until today. It was a long weekend and I think that Saturday really sapped a lot of energy from a lot of people between not driving as well as we had hoped/expected and how many delays there were. Driver's meeting started at 8am and the last car didn't finish running until well after 8pm.

I was down ~7.5 seconds overall after really tanking hard on Saturday (down by nearly 5 seconds from the Saturday leader). Mark Sipe codrove my car and he was about 2.5 seconds faster than me and he'd never driven the car before.

Sunday was a lot better for me, but I still left time out there. The rythm was a LOT easier for me to find on Sunday, but some people found it easier going on Saturday. :dunno: I am learning that I generally have a harder time on on longer, open, faster courses than I do on shorter, slower and more technical courses. I lift too much. I think I need to build more confidence with speed.

I weighed my car while there. With about 6 gallons of gas in the 15.9 gallon tank we saw 2888lbs.

[FT@SGP]

LOL, I should have guessed that the action was at Bimmerfest :) I have not been to that board in a long while, cannot keep up with all of it.

I do agree with your notes (as a spectator of course) about what might have gone wrong, or could have gone better.

Couple of notes:
- I'd have to agree with Mark, you really have to increase your rebound, close to maximum, what ever that may be on your shocks. Then go mid-way with the compression settings.

Increasing rebound should not detoriate street driving as most bumps should be absorbed by the high-speed compressions settings. I do not know if you have seperate high- and low-compression settings, but increasing low-compression, while and decreasing high-speed compressiong and increasing rebound should give a very nice setup IMHO.

- Unfortunately, remote control is not allowed in Stock classes, or in Street Prepared; only in SM. However, you should be able to find a happy medium for street and autocross with the compression that you won't have to change it too often given the fact that we know the lots we run throughout the year.

It is amazing that the RX-8 has such low weight. STi weighs about 3240 with full tank (16 gls), so you have about 350-370 lbs advantage, but I think the STi still makes out on the torque and hp.

We found out that it will be impossible to compete with well prep'd ESP cars on the wheels and tires we have, lol. Going against 11" wheels with Hoosiers with 7.5" with Toyos not a good match.

Best of luck at the Prosolo, this time I'll be running as well. Very interesting format, I'm looking forward to it.

[clyde]

I do agree with your notes (as a spectator of course) about what might have gone wrong, or could have gone better.

I thought I saw you and your wife driving in Saturday afternoon in the 330 while I was working, but I didn't see you again after that.

- I'd have to agree with Mark, you really have to increase your rebound, close to maximum, what ever that may be on your shocks. Then go mid-way with the compression settings.

I'm not sure how high we're going ot take the rear rebound,but I don't think we're going to near-full stiff. I don't think it needs that much and we're going to back off the front rebound a little bit. It's been set to full stiff and it may be a touch too much. Bump is going to stay where it is (full soft) for now.

I do not know if you have seperate high- and low-compression settings

I don't.

- Unfortunately, remote control is not allowed in Stock classes, or in Street Prepared; only in SM.

I don't have my rulebook at work, so I can only read what's at moutons.org (which is less than complete). For SP, it says, "No shock absorber may be capable of adjustment while the car is in motion, unless fitted as orignal equipment." The implication is that a remote adjustment like I described would be allowed in SP since it would not be adjustable while the car is in motion (you would still have to be out of the car with the trunk open to get to them). Moutons is silent WRT this issue in its stock class rules. Mark (who is a member of the SEB) asked me if it was possible to cut a hole in the trunk liner to access the adjustment tabs when I first got the shocks. In my view, my idea is in the same vein of remotely accessing the adjustment mechanism without altering the car. One of the prinicples of the SIIRB is that if it's not expressly allowed, it is not allowed. Still, though, I think I recall reading something in the book (or FasTrack) that said that means of remote access to suspension adjustments were ok if they didn't alter the car or run afoul of any other specific rule. A letter to the SEB requesting clarification or a ruling may be in order.

It is amazing that the RX-8 has such low weight. STi weighs about 3240 with full tank (16 gls), so you have about 350-370 lbs advantage, but I think the STi still makes out on the torque and hp.

Which is why they don't run together...except in STU, which I may have to think about for 2006.

We found out that it will be impossible to compete with well prep'd ESP cars on the wheels and tires we have, lol. Going against 11" wheels with Hoosiers with 7.5" with Toyos not a good match.

I talked to Greg Obadia (BS S2K driver) about tires for a while this weekend. He ran the Toyos last year and moved to the Hoosier S04s this year. He said the difference between them is night and day on his car...at least as much of a difference between street tires and the RA-1s, maybe more. I've been thinking about the RA-1s as a street tire for next year and using them at most autocrosses...only breaking out the Hoosiers for the big events (and possibly the regional SCCA events as well). I don't know...I need to plan a budget.

Best of luck at the Prosolo, this time I'll be running as well. Very interesting format, I'm looking forward to it.

Look forward to seeing you there. I'll be driivng Mark's car. :D

[FT@SGP]

Frankly, I would not have thought that I would worry about tires.

Mike and I started with the season with full acknowledgement that our STi will not have a winning setup, mostly due to lack of knowledge about STi setup which differs significantly from that of WRX.

However, we got the car setup pretty much where we wanted much sooner than I had imagined and suddenly tires has become an issue now.

But before we make more financial comitment to wheels/tires, I need to make sure that we are not dreaming and need to run few more events to see if we can maintain 0.5-0.7 second difference to Tyler in local events; hopefully sooner than later :D

Has Mark said anything about STU coming out of exhebition-only class to being a championship class in 2006? Craig keeps saying 2007.

[clyde]

You're fortunate to have Mike working with you. He has a sensitive feel and can articulate what's going on with the car very well. If/when you switch to A3S04s, you'll probably be doing a lot of setup work all over again (hint...start with front pressures at 50-55 because you're going to wind up in that area eventually anyway).

Don't know anything about STU that I haven't seen in fastrack or on sccaforums.com.

[FT@SGP]

You're fortunate to have Mike working with you. He has a sensitive feel and can articulate what's going on with the car very well. If/when you switch to A3S04s, you'll probably be doing a lot of setup work all over again (hint...start with front pressures at 50-55 because you're going to wind up in that area eventually anyway).

That is certainly true :smile: